eBay

stonevintage · ‎05-17-2017

I have, multiple times. I am not sure why the discrimination but it's real. Most thrifts are fine and realise that what we don't resell, likely gets donated right back to them. It's a constant source of income, even in the slowest months.

Any one else been treated less than courteous manner when shopping the thrift stores just for the simple reason they know you are a reseller? Please share your experiences. Happened to me again today. I will be calling the director of operations tomorrow when I've calmed down.

imakesugar · ‎05-18-2017

When I worked in the factory and needed work clothes (dirt and stains didn't matter) I'd try getting clothes from thrift stores...Usually, their prices were as HIGH as new clothing.

I clothed My family from gently used clothing from Thrift stores...I shudder to think what poor people are doing now. I would not have been able to afford the prices they get now.

imakesugar · ‎05-18-2017

I have to agree with You St. Vincents is the best! I don't know what I could have done to survive as a single parent without them! They are great!

deep-garnet-red · ‎05-18-2017

When I dealt with thrift stores, they didn't care. Eventually they got smart and started charging higher prices on the good stuff. Now Goodwill puts all their decent stuff online. There really aren't any good thrift stores around here anymore.

joesoucie22012 · ‎05-18-2017

The stealing by the employees at the salvation army from the managers all the way down to the janitors has gotten so bad in the portland oregon area that all the stores have closed up! At least ten of them in a 50 mile radius, except one. And that one is a mess. It stinks in there and the stuff they are selling looks like it came from the dump. All the good stuff is going out the back door. Soon, that dump will close too leaving not one salvation army thrift store in a major meto region.

moondogblues · ‎05-19-2017

When I lived in CA we had the same problem with the Goodwill. They had a ring in the Bay Area selling out the back door. It finally made headlines and they were all busted. It involved multiple stores but mainly in San Jose.

mistwomandancing · ‎05-19-2017

The farthest I can stretch my understanding is an employee getting *first dibs* on some things they see when donations come in, and it's set aside for them to pay for at the end of the day. Like one of the perks of working that type of job. And even that is stretching my generous and kindly feelings for them and their work!

*madison · ‎05-19-2017

I ask charity shops to give me a discount, so that I can make a bit more profit when I re-sell.

I often do get a discount ..

ymeagainlord · ‎05-19-2017

@seraphim8510 wrote:
I find the opposite to happen in every local thrift stores I frequent daily. I've been actually treated BETTER as a reseller, even to the extent of being able to score exclusive deals and being able to go through stuff that hasn't been put out in the stores yet.

And you're okay with that?

smh

Crusader Cat is watching

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - L Tolstoy

"You are entitled to your own opinion, you are not however, entitled to your own facts."

emerald40 · ‎05-19-2017

@ymeagainlord wrote:
@seraphim8510 wrote:
I find the opposite to happen in every local thrift stores I frequent daily. I've been actually treated BETTER as a reseller, even to the extent of being able to score exclusive deals and being able to go through stuff that hasn't been put out in the stores yet.
And you're okay with that?

smh

There was a thread a while back where resellers actually gloated about buying something for a few dollars in a thrift store and reselling it on ebay for 10X the price.

They knew when the trucks were coming in and had employees hold items for them.

Many saw absolutely not problem with that.

mistwomandancing · ‎05-19-2017

There will always be people who go for getting the edge, taking advantage, being a little underhanded, budging in line, cheating the others out, stretching the rules of fairness, etc. in order to gain an advantage over others, even resorting to some pretty sticky devious means to do so.

keziak · ‎05-19-2017

I was asked at a bookstore if I was a dealer and stupidly said yes in a cheerful way. I was put on a Black List and after that they would not take any books I brought them for trade credit. I still tried but they never wavered and eventually I gave up.

emerald40 · ‎05-19-2017

@mistwomandancing wrote:
There will always be people who go for getting the edge, taking advantage, being a little underhanded, budging in line, cheating the others out, stretching the rules of fairness, etc. in order to gain an advantage over others, even resorting to some pretty sticky devious means to do so.

People will take advantage if they can. But it is up to the thrifts to do something about it - to go back to the mission for which they were established and ban from their store those who do not adhere to the rules.

kyal · ‎05-19-2017

They know me at the two thrift shops here in town (Goodwill and a store that I helped start for our local mental health center decades ago). I make no secret that I resell much of what I purchase. What I get is pretty much "more power to you)".

mistwomandancing · ‎05-19-2017

@keziak wrote:
I was asked at a bookstore if I was a dealer and stupidly said yes in a cheerful way. I was put on a Black List and after that they would not take any books I brought them for trade credit. I still tried but they never wavered and eventually I gave up.

What a strange business-negative decision for them to make. How much more beneficial it would be for BOTH parties if they'd welcomed working together on the two different levels of book selling.

keziak · ‎05-19-2017

@mistwomandancing wrote:
@keziak wrote:
I was asked at a bookstore if I was a dealer and stupidly said yes in a cheerful way. I was put on a Black List and after that they would not take any books I brought them for trade credit. I still tried but they never wavered and eventually I gave up.
What a strange business-negative decision for them to make. How much more beneficial it would be for BOTH parties if they'd welcomed working together on the two different levels of book selling.

Plus in books there is a principle that what sells online is very often what does not sell in a used bookstore and vice versa. For example new titles by popular authors are great in a used bookstore and terrible online (too many copies in print to be worth anything). On the flip side, esoteric books that will sell on Amazon may never sell in a used bookstore. Oh well. Sources of inventory: they come and they go.